1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to mobile phones. In particular, it relates to mobile phones having a WAP browser.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Unlike personal computers, mobile phones typically have unique internal technology and only a small fraction of the resources of a typical desktop or portable computer. This means that the features in the phone are very limited compared to a computer. The reason for this limitation is the size of the phones, i.e. the phone has a severe limitation in processing power, memory space, display size and buttons or keys by which a user can request, view and manipulate information obtained from a hypermedia server. Therefore, it is very important that the features in the phone are made as efficient as possible. Also, the relatively high cost for a call from a cellular phone makes it very important to quickly carry out associated functions.
Despite these limitations, mobile phones have nevertheless been growing rapidly in computing power and can now perform many functions in addition to voice telephony. They can, for example, access remote data services, such as banking, stock quotes and weather forecasts, with Short Messaging Service (SMS) and Wireless Application Protocol (WAP).
WAP 1.1 is a result of continuous work to define an industry wide standard for developing applications over cellular communication networks. The WAP 1.1 Specification Sheet is available to the public at www.wapforum.org/what.technical.htm and is hereby incorporated by reference. WAP 1.1 makes it possible to access, for example, the Internet or other kind of information networks provided with hypermedia servers, from an ordinary cell phone supporting WAP. However, the WAP 1.1 Specification Sheet is concerned only with document encoding, transmission and decoding; there is no discussion of the use of downloaded documents.
WAP is very similar to the current Internet standards. The Internet utilizes a Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), e.g. Java Script, a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), Transport Layered Security (TLS)/Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), and a Transport Configuration Protocol (TCP)/User Diagram Protocol (UDP). WAP comprises a Wireless Markup Language (WML) corresponding to HTML, a Wireless Session Layer (WSP) corresponding to HTTP, a Wireless Transport Layered Security (WTLS) corresponding to TLS/SSL, and a Wireless Transport Layer (WTP) corresponding to TCP/UDP. The core of WAP is WML and WML Script, which are interpreted by using a browser resident on the mobile device. Furthermore, WAP comprises different bearers like, for example, SMS, USSD, and CDMA. It is also possible to implement different kinds of services and applications in WAP, e.g. Value Added Services (VAS).
Although software applications in the personal computer environment are well developed and robust, the software in a mobile phone can sometimes be written in a relatively uncommon language and programmers may have difficulty working with that language. Consequently, each new function in the phone, even functions which are relatively simple in other environments, like storing and printing data, is difficult to implement since it must utilize very limited resources, involves low level programming and depends on the phone""s internal architecture.
Mobile phones also lack the serial, parallel, and USB ports, ethernet connections and other interfaces common on personal computers. There are thus additional difficulties in carrying out functions, like printing, that require an external device. While there are some wireless infrared methods of transferring data between mobile devices, such as IrCOMM, and Bluetooth, they have underlying protocols which define standard ways to transfer the data. These methods do not define a protocol that works at the uppermost data layer and is understood by both devices. Consequently, there are difficulties in printing data in WML format. Other devices, such as Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), can print by themselves or can print through a desktop computer. But these devices utilize a HTML browser, such as Pocket Explorer from Microsoft, rather than a WAP/WML browser and can thus use the printing functions available in such a conventional browser.
Printing from mobile phones with browsers is also difficult since the visual part of user interfaces for mobile phones is not standardized and WML content can be shown in different ways. Every mobile phone breaks the text and other parts of the content into several lines in its own way. Printers have much wider lines than mobile phones and can print the text in a more readable format.
The present invention addresses mobile phones with browsers. There are several different aspects and objects of the invention. However, the invention is not limited thereto. A particular implementation of the invention may apply any combination of the aspects and objects of the invention, such that some aspects and objects of the invention may be practiced in a particular implementation of the invention even though some other aspects and object are not practiced in the particular implementation.
An object of the invention is to provide optimal data handling extensions for the browser of a mobile phone to allow additional printing functions. An embodiment of the invention adds the printing functions in the source code of the browser.
One object of the invention is to provide printing capabilities for a mobile phone as a software functionality without adding additional hardware (such as button on a keypad). For example, an embodiment of the invention is implemented by being included in the operating system software of the mobile phone.
Another object of the invention is to make use of a printing facility that is well integrated into the mobile phone and which can be shared by different sub-systems of the device. For example, one embodiment of the invention extends the same printing facility used for printing a phone book or calendar to additionally print the WML content from a WAP browser as well.
A further object of the invention is to provide a mobile phone that is capable of printing a variety of types of data, including WML content, on a separate printer via a direct infrared communication link to that printer.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the WAP browser in a mobile phone is adapted to permit printing of WML data received and interpreted by the WAP browser. The mobile phone has control circuitry, including a processing unit, a memory connected to the processing unit, and a display. The WAP browser is adapted to interpret received Wireless Markup Language (WML) data and display it on the display. The WAP browser includes a print option which, when selected by the user of the wireless communication device, causes the WML data to be printed.